Five Reasons To Be Happy Following the Cowboys, Dolphins Game

Aug 23, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dwayne Harris (17) returns a kickoff as Miami Dolphins cornerback Cortland Finnegan (24) defends in the first quarter of the game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

3. Cowboys Special Teams Play

Last weekend, the Cowboys special teams play were about as good as a water bucket with a hole in the bottom. Everything got through. Including the Raven’s Deonte Thompson, who returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. In fact, this special teams’ unit gave up an average of 46.0 yards on every Baltimore kick/punt return last Saturday. Basically, they stunk.

But something happened during the week. I’m guessing Rich Bisaccia boot saw a lot of action…and hit a lot of backsides. Because Bisaccia, the Cowboys special teams coordinator, had this unit whipped back into shape. It also didn’t hurt to have his best player, Dwayne Harris, returning kickoffs for an average of 39.5 yards per.

But it wasn’t just about the returns. The unit’s tackling was far improved as well. Players like Joseph Randle, Tim Benford, and Will Smith were laying the wood on the Dolphins. As head coach Jason Garrett stated at halftime, this special teams unit was the best things about the Cowboys last season. And it appears their lackluster performance from a week ago was simply anomaly.